Fixed-jaw car coupler



N0V- 8, 1966 M. G. DUFoURMANTr-:L 3,283,917

FIXED-JAW GAR COUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 9, 1965 Nov. 8, 1966 M. GDUFOURMANTEL 3,283,917

FIXED-JAW GAR COUPLER y Filed July 9, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY g? NOV 8, 1966 M. G. DUFOURMANTEL 3,283,917

FIXED-JAW CAR COUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 9, 1965 FIGA FIG 5 M Ama/VH Nov. 8, 1966 M. G. DUFOURMANTEL. 3,283,917

FIXED-JAW CAR ooUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed July 9, 1965 FIG. 7

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United States Patent Office 3,283,9l7 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 3,283,917 FIXED-JAW CAR COUPLER Marius Georges Dufourmantel, Paris, France, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 9, 1965, Ser. No. 470,668 Claims priority, application France, July 28, 1964, 983.347, Patent 1,412,470 11 Claims. (Cl. 213-100) This invention relates to automatic fixed jaw-type couplers for railway cars.

Automatic fixed jaw-type couplers are currently equipped with locking devices `comprising various pivoting members which can occupy various stable positions corresponding to those defined below:

A so-called pre-coupling position enables such couplers to be automatically locked when two cars or trains of cars are shunted towards each other.

During this operation, the couplers being in the same horizontal plane, the coupler jaws can pass inside one another. The locks provided to immobilise said jaws in the locked position first move aside so as to allow said jaws to engage in one another and adopt a so-called preliminary stop position. The locks on the two cars to be coupled together then drop to fulfill their locking function, and the couplers are thus brought to the coupled position.

Apart from the three positions mentioned above, an uncoupling lever enables a fourth position to be reached, the so-called lock-set position or position maintaining the unlocked state. position is maint-aimed by a latch, also referred to as a lock-set or lock-set piece, when action of the uncoupling lever has ceased.

It should be noted lthat, in order to uncouple cars in this manner, it is suiiicient to operate the uncoupling lever on only one of the two cars.

Finally, it is customary to provide an eXtra, so-called neutral position, in which the lock of the coupling is thrown beyond the so-called lock-set position.

The neutral position is generally controlled by an additional lever acting on the above mentioned uncoupling lever by means of a chain; such an additional lever can be immobilized, for example by a device comprising a detent notch. A pair of cars cannot be automatically coupled together if at least one of them has its lock in the neutral position; this is the opposite of what happens when two cars have just been separated, one `at least having its lock in the lock-set position, for in this case all the members of the two couplers have necessarily returned to the pre-coupling position.

The present invention concerns various improvements particularly to the above-mentioned latch and to the element known as the anti-creep element, which is provided in such arrangements to prevent-in the coupled position -any untimely unlocking which could be caused Iby the possible withdrawal of said lock.

According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic jaw-type coupler for a railway car and intended to co-operate with a similar coupler on another railway car comprising a casing, a lock movable in the casing between locking and unlocking positions, and an anti-creep element movable in the casing between positions in which it respectively prevents and permits movement of the lock to its unlocking position, characterised in that the anti-creep element is mounted on a stub shaft carried by -or forming part of the lock for pivotal movement between a lirst position in which it can engage an abutment on the casing to preventmovement of the lock to its unlockingv position and a second position in which it passes clear of the said abutment to permit movement of the lock to its unlocking position.

As will be seen hereinafter, the preferred form the the invention involves the mounting of said anti-creep element on a special spindle provided on the lock itself, the element cooperating with a boss on the casing of the coupling head; in known arrangements the anti-creep element is generally mounted -on the so-Called lock-set piece or else bears on the latter.

Another improvement consists of providing at least one pivoting indicating memtber, the end of which-.in the pre-coupling position-strikes against a lug of the anti-creep element so that the indicating member is partially visibfle in said pre-coupling position.

When one proceeds to couple together two cars in the preliminary stop position the indicating member becomes more apparent, under the thrust of said lug of the anticreep element; but when the coupling tis made the raising of the lug causes the indicating member to disappear completely.

The way in which the anti-creep element is mounted on the lock it-se-lf makes it possible, firstly, to dispense with the shaped concealing surface of said anti-creep element, which was necessary when the element was mounted on the lock-set piece as in the prior art and, secondly, to avoid untimely unlocking in the coupled position, which might be caused by the lock-set piece rising accidentally.

In specific and illustrative embodiments of the present invention, when the uncoupling lever is operated to bring the arrangement into the lock-set position, a cam controlled by the lever directly provides for said anti-creep element to be freed from an abutment on the coupling head, and the same cam then causes the lock to move aside.

In the resultant lock-set position nearly all of the above mentioned indicating member is visible.

In the above mentioned neutral position the pivoting indicating member is still more visible than in the lockset position. A second, optional, so-called neutral position indicating member may appear and may in particular contain a notch which is only visible in the neutral position.

In a preferred modification of the invention the lock-set piece, instead of having a project-ion cooperating with another projection on the lock to maintain the lock-set position, has a cam surface with two slopes cooperating with a projection on the uncoupling cam.

In this modificati-on the special projection provided on said cam cooperates at rst with the lower horizontal portion on said surface so las to raise the lock-set piece, which can drop back as soon as said special projection passes beyond said horizontal portion, while ensuring that the coupler is locked in the lock-set position.

The lock is thus also immobilized and cannot drop back so long as the cars are not separated, as a result of the cooperation between the heel or flange of the lockset piece and the face of the opposed coupling head.

Only when this head moves away can the lock drop back, the projection on the lock-set piece then abutting the cam surface of the anti-creep element, which limits the upward rocking movement of this element and only allows the indicating member to be raised slightly into the resultant pre-coupling position.

Finally, in a particular embodiment of locking device according to the invention, a projecting spigot or the like provided on the lock-set piece makes it possible to return, if necessary, to the coupled position and to re-lock the coupling between two cars, at least one of which had its ,coupling head in the lock-set position.

The characteristics, objects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the description which will now be given of two embodiments of the novel automatic coupling lock. These embodiments are given as non-restrictive examples and will be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective exploded View of a coupler head showing the various components,

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through a coupler head with an elevation of a first embodiment of said device in the pre-coupling position,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that in FIG. 2, in the preliminary stop position,

FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the coupled position,

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIGS, 2 to 4, in the lock-set position,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 to 5, in the neutral position,

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the coupler heads in the precoupling position,

FIG. 8 is a plan view similar to that in FIG. 7, showing the coupler heads in the coupled position,

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 7 and 8, showing one of said heads in the lock-set position, and

Y FIG. 10 is a partial View similar to FIG. 5, representing a second embodiment of the device.

Referring now to FIG. l, the whole arrangement cornprises a casing 1 for the coupler head, a cam 2, a lockset piece 3, an anti-creep element 4, a lock 5 which carries and pivotally supports the element 4, an uncoupling lever 6, a coupling indicating member 7 and a neutral position indicating member 8.

The two indicating members are mounted on two shafts 9 and 10 passing respectively through apertures 11 and 12 provided in the casing 1 of the coupling head.

The casing 1 includes a stub shaft 13 which cooperates with an oval hole 14 in the lock-set piece 3 and enables the lock-set piece 3 to be suspended from said shaft.

A rectangular opening 15 is provided in the casing 1 to give passage to a projecting spigot 16 of the lock-set piece 3.

Inside the casing 1 is a forwardly-facing abutment 17 cooperating with a lug 18 of the anti-creep element 4. The coupling indicating member 7 has an end portion 19 which may be controlled by the lug 18 of the anticreep element 4, as will be seen from FIGS. 2 to 6.

A hole 20 is formed in the casing 1 to give passage to the small-diameter end V6a of the shaft of the uncoupling lever 6.

An aperture 2a in the shape of a square cut 'off at the corners is provided on the cam 2 to cooperate with a similarly shaped portion 6b of the shaft of the lever 6.

The portion 6c of this lever crosses the lock 5 through an oval opening 21 provided therein.

The casing 1 is provided on the inside with an abutment 22 cooperating with a lip 23 of said cam 2 which, in the absence of such an abutment, would tend t-o be pivoted clockwise by the weight of its lug 24.

It will be explained later how this lug cooperates with certain members of the anti-creep element 4 and lock 5;

The lock-set piece 3 is provided with a heel or liange 25 which, in the coupled position, cooperates with the lock of the opposed coupling head. The lock-set piece is also equipped with a projection or lug 26 provided to cooperate with a cam surface 27 of the anti-creep element 4 and also with a lug 28 provided on the lock 5.

The anti-creep element 4 contains a bore 29 by which it is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 30 provided on the lock 5.

The lug 24 of the cam 2 cooperates with an abutment 31 provided on the lock 5 and with a second cam surface 32 provided on the anti-creep element 4.

The lock 5 further comprises a lug 33 serving to control the neutral position indicating member 8, a ange 34 which can engage in an opening 35 in the casing 1 of the coupling head, and a stub 36 which can engage in an opening 37 in the lower part of said casing 1.

The lock 5 is finally equipped with a shaped Surface 38 which can come to rest on the edge 39 of the lower part of the casing 1 of the coupling head.

A shoulder 40 located on said lock 5 in the vicinity of the stub 36 is provided to cooperate with a boss 41 which is provided inside the lower part of the casing 1 in the vicinity of the opening 37.

FIG. 1 also shows a cavity 42 in the lock 5, in which the anti-creep element 4 can be housed.

The operation of the device will now be explained by reference to FIGS, 2 to 9.

It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the lug 18 of the anticreep element 4 co-operates, in the pre-coupling position, with the lower portion of the stub 19 of the coupling indicating member 7, and that the portion 7a which is visible outside the casing 1 is very small.

In said pre-coupling position the flange 34 and the stub 36 of the lock 5 are housed respectively inside the cavities 35 and 37 of the casing 1. The anti-creep element 4 is in the cavity 42 in said lock 5, and the lip 23 of the cam 2 is immobilized against the abutment 22 of said casing 1 owing to the position ofthe lever 6.

The lock 5 is then in a vertical position and its lower shaped surface 38 rests against the lower edge 39 of the casing 1.

The anges 25 and 25a of the lock-set piece 3 land of that of the opposed coupling head are in an inclined position, as are the lock-set pieces 3 of the two couplers themselves, and the lug 26 of the lock-set piece 3 bears on the cam surface 27 of the anti-creep element 4.

On movement from the pre-coupling position in FIG. 2 to the so-called preliminary stop position in FIG. 3, it will be seen that the two locks 5 and 5a pivot, the lock S pivoting about the boss 41 on the casing 1.

The stud 36 of the lock is displaced slightly into the opening 37 in the casing 1, while the flange 34 moves further :across the cavity 35 in said casing, the oval hole 21 in said lock 5 also moving to the left in relation to the iixed shaft 6c of the lever 6.

The throwing of the -lock entrains the anti-creep element 4, the lug 18 of which makes the indicating member 7 pivot clockwise `as seen in the drawing about its spindle 9; the visible portion 7b of the member 7 then becomes far larger than the portion 7a of the same member in the pre-coupling position.

During the throwing of the `lock 5 the lock-set piece 3 remained immobile, .as did its lug 26 and its ange 25, but the shaped surface 38 of the lock was raised in relation to the edge 39 of the casing 1, and the lug 28 of the lock moved towards the left and took up a position above the lug 26 ofthe lock-set piece 3.

As the two coupling heads are brought further together into coupled relation, the locks 5 and 5a resume their vertical or `locking position on the yside facing the opposed coupling head, acting on the flanges of thelock-s'et pieces and making these pieces pivot (about their suspending stub shafts.

TheA lug 18 of the anti-creep element 4 is completely freed from the stub 19 of the coupling indicating member 7, in such a way that the coupling indicating member drops and, in the co-upled position shown in FIG. 4, is no longer visible.

The cam 2, on the other hand, remains in its previous position with its lip 23 applied to the abutment 22 of the casing 1, and the shaped surface 32 of the anti-creep element 4 comes to rest on the Ilug 24 0f said cam.

It will be seen that in the coupled position shown in FIG. 4, `should the lock 5 be inopportunely thrown and cause the anticreep element 4 to move back to the left, the lug 18 of the element will abut the abut-ment 17 on the casing 1 and thereby prevent the coupling from being unlocked. This is a valuable feature of the invention.

It will be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8 that the casings 1 Kand 1a of the two opposed coupling heads can come into contact in the cou-pled position shown in FIG. 8. This engagement allows the locks 5 and 5a to resume their Vertical or locking position, and the flanges 25 and 25a of the lock-set pieces are thus made to move aside to restore the lock-set pieces to the positions where their surfaces 25, 25a are substantially vertical.

In order to return thence to the lock-set position, one has to manually or otherwise actuate the portion 6d of the lever 6 and move it to the left into the position shown in FIG. 5.

The lock 5 then pivots anticlockwise as seen in FIG. 5 about the boss 41 on the casing 1, by the action of the lug 24 on the cam 2. The cam 2 is interlocked in rotation with the lever 6, and the lug 24 acts on abutment 31 on the lock S.

The ange 34 then projects through the opening 35 in the casing 1.

The lug 18 of the anti-creep element now moves to act on the end portion 19 of the coupling indicating member 7; the visible portion 7c is then larger than in the preliminary stop position.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lug 33 of the lock 5 at this moment acts on the second or neutral position indicating member 8, which starts to appear.

The lock-set piece 3 remains in the same position as it had in the coupled position, and its flange 25 is held by the lock 5a of the opposed coupling head.

During this lock throwing movement the lug 28 of the -lock 5 passes below the lug 26 of the lock-set piece which, after being raised, drops back. The lug 26 then moves into position on the right hand side of the lug 28 yas can be seen from FIG. 5, thereby ensuring that the lock 5 is held in the unlocked position even when action on the lever 6 has ceased.

As already indicated, as soon as the opposed head is removed and the Alock 5a no longer `C10-operates with the flange 25, the fact that the lock-set piece is thrown by its own weight enables the llug 28 of the llock 5 to escape, thus allowing the lock to resume its vertical pre-coupling position.

As the lip 23 of the lcam 2 is no longer in contact with the abutment 22 `on the casing 1 in the 4lock-set position, the lug 24 of said cram acts on the shaped surface 32 of the anti-creep element 4, the lug 18 of which then cooperates with the lower portion of the end portion 19 of the coupling indicating member 7.

In said lock-set position, as will he seen from FIGS. 5 `and 9, the flange 25 of the lock-set piece is moved aside and the lock 5 no longer holds together the casings 1 and 1a of the opposed coupling heads, even if the lock 5 has remained in the vertical position. The two heads can thus be separated and the pire-coupling position resumed.

If the portion 6d of the lever 6 is moved by means of a chain 44 visible in FIGS. 2 to 6, one can bring the lever 6 nearer to a horizontal position as seen in the figures, i.e. to the Iso-called neutral position shown in FIG. 6, in which the lock 5 is thrown still further than in the lock-set position.

If the lever 6 is immobilized in this neutral position, in which the lug 28 of the lock 5 is no Ilonger in contact with the lug 26 of the lock-set piece 3, the visible polrtion 7d of the `coupling indicating member 7 is still larger than the visible portion 7c in FIG. 5.

As for the lug 33 of the lock 5, it raises the neutral position indicating member 8 further so yas to make the notch 8a appear.

As already stated, the member 8 is optional and one can check whether the coupling is in the neutral position simply from the visible portion 7d of the member 7.

Untimely coupling is prevented when the arrangement is in the neutral position shown in FIG. 6, for the lug 24 of the cam 2 then prevents the lock 5 from moving back again. The lug holds the lock by means of the abutment 31 on the latter, and in addition the cam cannot rock because the portion 6b of the lever 6 is locked in the aperture 2n, thereby preventing any possible return of the lock 5 to the coupled position.

Referring now to the modification shown in FIG. 10, it will be seen that the lock-set piece 3a differs in shape from the lock-set piece 3 in FIGS. l to 6, although it has a similarly shaped flange 25 and is designed to co-operate in the same way as in the FIGS. 1-6 embodiment with part of the casing 1a of an opposed coupling head.

However, the lock-set piece 3a has in its lower portion a cam surface 45 parallel to its top edge, i.e. horizontal in the coupled, lock-set or neutral position.

The cam surface 45 is extended by a perpendicular cam surface 46.

In this modification the cam 2 is also replaced by a differently shaped cam 2b. Thi-s is shown in full lines in the lock-set position and in broken lines in an intermediate position during its passage from the coupled to the lock-set position. The lock 5 is shown in chain-dotted lines.

It will be seen that this cam has a boss which is visible at 47a and 47b.according to the position of the cam. Movement into the lock-set position vat rst tends slightly to raise the lock-set piece until the boss reaches the position 47 b and yallows the lock-set piece 3a to drop back.

If the action on the portion 6d of the lever 6 is then terminated, the cam is held in its position 2b by the boss 47h, and its shaped surface 43 co-operates with the abutment 31 of the lock 5 to hold the latter.

In this modification the cam surfaces 45 and 46 of course make it possible to omit the lug 28 on the lock 5. This prevents certain possibilities of jamming between the two lugs 26 and 28 in the embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 6.

In the same way as in FIG. 5, in the lock-set position of FIG. 6, removal of the opposed -coupling head enables the lock-set piece 3a to be thrown and the cam 2b to return to the pre-coupling position.

The lip 23, visible at 23a and 23b in FIG. 10, then comes back into contact with the abutment 22 of the casing 1.

Various alterations, improvements or additions can of course be made to the embodiments just described, and certain members can be replaced by equivalent members without thereby altering the general arrangement of the invention, or departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fixed-jaw railway car coupler intended for cooperation with a similar coupler on another railway car comprlsmg:

(A) a coupler head having a casing, v

(B) a forwardly facing abutment on the interior of said casmg,

(C) a lock pivotally mounted in said casing to pivot between a locking position in which the two couplers cannot be separated and an unlocking position in which they can be separated,

(D) a stub shaft or spigot on said lock, and

(E) an anticreep element pivotally mounted on said stub shaft for pivotal movement between a rst position in which the said element, in being carried by the lock through a slight movement thereof rearwardly, can engage the abutment to prevent movement of the lock to its unlocked position and a second position in which the path of movement of the anticreep element upon pivotal movement of the lock to its unlocked position is clear of the said abutment.

2. A fixed-jaw railway car coupler intended for cooperation with a similar coupler on another railway car comprising:

(A) a coupler head having a casing,

(B) a forwardly facing abutment on the interior of said casing,

(C) a lock pivotally mounted in said casing and pivotally movable between a locking position in which the two couplers cannot be separated and an unlocking position in which they can be separated,

(D) a pivotal mounting means on said lock,

(E) an anticreep element pivotally mounted on pivotal mounting means for pivotal movement between a rst position in which the said element, in being carried by the lock through a slight movement thereof rearwardly, can engage the abutment to prevent movement of the lock to its unlocked position and a second position in which the path of movement of the anticreep element upon pivotal movement of the lock to its unlocked position is clear of the said abutment,

(F) a lock-set piece pivotally mounted on the said casing for movement between positions in which it respectively retains the said lock in and frees it from its unlocking position,

(G) a lug on said lock-set piece, and.

(H) a cam surface on said anticreep element adapted to co-operate with said lug so that the anticreep element can be thereby moved to its said second position.

3. A fixed-jaw railway car coupler intended for cooperation with a similar coupler on another railway car comprising:

(A) a coupler head having a casing,

(B) a forwardly facing abutment on the interior of said casing,

(C) a lock pivotally mounted in said casing and pivotally movable between a locking position in which the two couplers cannot be separated and an unlocking position in which they can be separated,

(D) a stub shaft or spigot on said lock,

(E) an .anticreep element pivotally mounted on said stub shaft for pivotal movement between a first position in which the said element, in being carried by the lock through a slight movement thereof rearwardly, can engage the abutment to prevent movement of the lock to its unlocked position and a second position in which the path of movement of the anticreep element upon pivotal movement of the lock to its unlocked position is clear of the said abutment and,

(F) a coupling indicating member movably mounted on the casing and adapted to co-operate with the said anticreep element to be moved thereby so as to indicate the coupling condition of the coupler.

4. A coupler according to claim 3 in which the coupler indicating member is pivotally mounted on the casing and can project through an aperture in the said casing and is progressively pivoted by the anticreep element so that different amounts of the indicating member are visible according to the condition of the coupler.

5. A Xed-jaw railway car coupler intended for cooperation with a similar coupler on another railway car comprising:

(A) a coupler head having a casing,

(B) a forwardly facing abutment on the interior of said casing,

(C) a lock pivotally mounted in said casing and pivotally movable between a `locking position in which the two couplers cannot be separated and an unlocking position in which they can be separated,

(D) a stub shaft or spigot on said lock,

(E) an anticreep element pivotally mounted on said stub shaft for pivotal movement between a rst position in which the said element, in being carried by the lock through a slight movement thereof rearwardly, can engage the abutment to prevent movement of the lock to its unlocked position and a second position in which the path of movement of the anticreep element upon pivotal movement of the lock to its unlocked position is clear of the said abutment,

(F) a neutral position indicating member pivotally mounted on the casing and adapted to be engaged by the lock in predetermined positions of the latter, to be thereby moved to indicate the neutral condition of the coupler.

6. A coupler according to claim 5 in which the neutral position indicating member is pivotally mounted on the casing and can project through an aperture therein and is caused to pivot by engagement with a lug on the lock so as to indicate by the extent of its projection the neutral condition of the coupler.

7. A Xed-jaw railway car coupler intended for cooperation with a similar coupler on another railway car comprising:

(A) a coupler head having a casing,

(B) a forwardly facing abutment on the interior of said casing.

(G) a lock pivotally mounted in said casing and pivotally movable between a locking position in which the two couplers cannot be separated and an unlocking position in which they can be separated,

(D) a stub shaft or spigot on said lock,

(E) an abutment on said lock,

(F) an anticreep element pivotally mounted on said stub shaft for pivotal movement between a first position in which the said element, in being carried by the lock through a slight movement thereof rearwardly, can engage the abutment to prevent movement of the lock to its unlocked position and a second position in which the path of movement of the anticreep element upon pivotal movement of the lock to its unlocked position is clear of the said abutment,

(G) a cam pivotally mounted within the casing and adapted to engage the said lock to eifect pivotal movement of the latter, and

(H) a lug on said cam adapted to engage said abutment to effect such pivotal movement.

8. A fixed-jaw railway car coupler intended for cooperation with a similar coupler on another railway car comprising:

(A) a coupler head having a casing,

(B) a boss on the interior of said casing,

(C) a forwardly facing abutment on the interior of said casing,

(D) a lock pivotally mounted in said casing and engaging said boss and movable to pivot about the region of engagement of said boss and said lock between a locking position in which the two couplers cannot be separated and an unlocking position in which they can be separated,

(E) a stub shaft or spigot on said lock, and

(F) an anticreep element pivotally mounted on said stub shaft for pivotal movement between a first position in which the said element, in being carried by the lock through a slight movement thereof rearwardly, can engage the abutment to prevent movement of the lock to its unlocked position and a second position in which the path of movement of the anticreep element upon pivotal movement of the lock to its unlocked position is clear of the said abutment.

9. a coupler according to claim 7 in which the cam has a lip adapted to engage an abutment provided on the casing, to prevent rotary movement of the cam under its own weight relative to the casing.

10. A coupler according to claim 1 wherein the said lock has surfaces dening a recess and wherein the said anticreep element is housed within the said recess.

11. A coupler according to claim 1 including a lock-set piece pivotally mounted on the casing for movement between positions in which it respectively retains the lock in and frees it from its unlocking position, in which the lock-set piece takes the form of a member having two mutually perpendicular cam surfaces which are adapted to co-operate with a boss on the cam whereby rotation of the cam causes pivotal movement of the lock-set piece between its limiting positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,591,275 4/1952 Metzger 213--100 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

10 B. s. FAUST, D. H. HOFFMAN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A FIXED-JAW RAILWAY CAR COUPLER INDENTED FOR COOPERATION WITH A SIMILAR COUPLER ON ANOTHER RAILWAY CAR COMPRISING: (A) A COUPLER HEAD HAVING A CASING, (B) A FORWARDLY FACING ABUTMENT ON THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING, (C) A LOCK PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING TO PIVOT BETWEEN A LOCKING POSITION IN WHICH THE TWO COUPLERS CANNOT BE SEPARATED AND AN UNLOCKING POSITION IN WHICH THEY CAN BE SEPARATED, (D) A STUB SHAFT OR SPIGOT ON SAID LOCK, AND (E) AN ANTICREEP ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID STUB SHAFT FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THE SAID ELEMENT, IN BEING CARRIED BY THE LOCK THROUGH A SLIGHT MOVEMENT THEREOF REARWARDLY, CAN ENGAGE THE ABUTMENT TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE LOCK TO ITS UNLOCKED POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE ANTICREEP ELEMENT UPON PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LOCK TO ITS UNLOCKED POSITION IS CLEAR OF THE SAID ABUTMENT. 